Ed Mazria: An Interview with the AIA Gold Medal Winner for 2021

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) gives out the Gold Medal each year, typically to acknowledge a body of influential architectural work. This year was a little different, stretching the boundaries of what the Gold Medal is all about. Ed Mazria, FAIA, received the award for 2021—not mainly for his work in practice, but rather for his climate change advocacy as founder of Architecture 2030. That’s the nonprofit that issued the 2030 Challenge in 2005, calling on architects to design all new buildings to be carbon neutral by 2030. (The challenge has since seen growing traction as part of an AIA initiative launched in 2009 called the 2030 Commitment.)

We spoke with Mazria about the history of the challenge, its current status, and what we can look forward to in the future.